For or against? Community divided over bike lane debate

Director of Mt Gambier car dealership OG Roberts, Peter Roberts spoke out against the proposed lanes this week, saying his business, which has fronted Penola Road for over 20 years relied heavily on drive-by trade and the proposal would restrict customer parking for part of his trading day.

"It's a busy road - when you close the roads on both sides for half the day for minimal bike traffic, it's ludicrous.

"The reality is it will be four hours a day, which is half our trading hours. We're restricting the trade of all those businesses for the sake of very few bike riders."

There will be no parking between the hours of 7-9am and 4-6pm on weekdays once the work is completed, forcing drivers to use alternative areas, such as Frew Park or central business district parking areas.

South East residents flooded the ABC South East Facebook page with comments this week with a variety of views and opinions.

While Jim Taylor said "there are not enough bikes to warrant this", Robyn Pitt wondered "where do the bikes go when the lanes run out?"

Tammy Whitehead said Mt Gambier was in need of safe bike lanes and that parking wouldn't be a issue if more people decided to ride bikes to work.

Mt Gambier resident Sandy Dowling who lives near the Penola Rd area, said she thought restricting parking was not the way forward.

"I live near OGR and there is always cars parked on the road there and hardly any bikes. Surely they can come up with a different idea!"

Both Robert Stewart and Fred Smith suggested maybe Mt Gambier should take a look at Adelaide's existing model, saying the city had dedicated bike lanes between commuter times and it could be a compromise for businesses that take issue with the proposal.

"It is a wonder that we survived the first 200 years of riding bikes without bike lanes," Mr Smith said while others wondered about how much traffic existing Mt Gambier bike lanes were getting.

"Drive the roads where the existing lanes are now and you realise they barely get used," said Mathew Williamson, a view echoed by Sandra Woodham who said, "I have not seen a bike rider using Kennedy Avenue."

Josephine Duigan, who spoke to ABC Breakfast presenter Stuart Stansfield on Friday, said more people should be encouraged to walk and cycle in Mt Gambier's CDB, but they had to feel safe doing it.

"Mt Gambier is embracing a 'Park and Stride' city concept but it is early days," she said.

"Mt Gambier is a city. We have to get used to the idea that we're not always going to be able to park directly outside a store and go in."

"I feel strongly about the fact that people don't consider alternative modes of transport other than driving."

Ms Duigan said, as a member of the Mt Gambier cycling community, she did support the bike lane proposal, but was not entirely convinced DPTI was putting the lanes in the correct place.

"Maybe it's a bit of an overreaction to fix something that's not broken down this stretch of the road."

Ms Duigan said she had sat and watched traffic volumes on both sides of the Penola Rd/Jubilee Highway roundabout and believed heavy vehicle traffic and off-set intersections were more of a problem at the opposite end of the road.

"Carparking and peak hour traffic down this end of the road doesn't appear to be a problem."

Ms Duigan said she would be putting in a submission to the Department of Planning and Transport before they closed at 5pm tonight.